Button sewing machine



March 7, 1933. R. L. LYONS BUTTON SEWING MACHINE Filed May 17, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet l March 7, 1933. R L LYONS 'BUTTON SEWING MACHINE Filed May 17, 1950 4' Sheets-Sheet 2 WU HIT March 7, 1933. R, L. LYONS BUTTON SEWING MACHINE Filed May 17, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet s March 7, 1933. R LYQNS 1,900,388

BUTTON SEWING MACHINE Filed May 17, 1930 4 Sheqts-Sheet 4 Patented Mar. 7, 1933 PATENT OFFICE ROBERT L. LYONS, OF WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS BUTTON .SEWI

Application filed May 17,.

This invention relates to machines for sewing buttons and analogous articles and more particularly where these articles or buttons have four stitch-receiving holes, and

by the use of two sets of single thread stitches placed simultaneously each through one pair of holes and into the work; To this end the article is moved to present alternately each hole of a pair in line with the path of motion of its respective needle and means is provided for so positioning the thread loops from the looper as to properly cooperate with the needle to form chain stitches.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which Figures 1, 2 and 3 are front, side and rear elevations, respectively of the machine.

Figure 4 is a horizontal section on line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a view similar to a part of Figure 4, but showing the parts in different positions.

Figures 6, 7 and 8 are sections to a larger scale on correspondingly numbered sections lines of Figure 4.

Figure 9 is a section on line 99 of Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a, fragmentary perspective showing the thread finger cam mechanism.

Figure 11 is a view similar to a portion of Figure '8, but showing parts in a different portion in the stitch forming cycle.

Figure 12 is a section on line 1212 0 Figure 11.

Figures 13 to 18 inclusive are views similar to Figure 11-, but showing successive positions of certain of the stitch-forming parts during the cycle of operations of the machine.

Referring first to Figures 1 to 3, the frame of the machine comprises a work table 1 from one end of which rises an arm 2 having an extension 3 projecting toward the opposite end of the tableand having attached thereto a head 4 having vertically reciprocating therein at its outer end a needle bar 5. When this machine is to be employed for stitching four hole buttons or analogous articles to 3 570 work, thisneedle bar will be provided with NG MACHINE 1930. Serial No. 453,214.

a pair of sewing needles 6 arranged in parallel relation and s aced apart the distance between the pairs 0 holes in the button through which stitches are to be passed. These needles are fixed to the needle bar in such relation that their stitching and retracting strokes-are simultaneous and equal. A separatethread 7 is led through suitable tension mechanisms to each of the needles in the usual manner. The needle bar is reciprocated vertically for sewing and retracting strokes by any suitable means, such, for example, as the rotary shaft 10 shown in dotted lines inFigure 3 with suitable link connections as at 11 to the needle bar in a manner well understood in the art. Beneath the work table is shown a rocking looper shaft 15 arranged parallel to and at one side of the plane of the needles and'which may be actuated by a crank 16 on the shaft 10 through a connecting rod 17 and through a crank arm 18 on the looper shaft. The looper shaft 15 is shown as having fixed thereto a pair of loopers 19 of conventional form, each shown as provided with a thread hook 20.

On the top of the work table 1 is positioned a cloth plate shown best in Figure 8 at 25 and this cloth plate has a portion of its under face cut away as at 26 to form a space a between the central portion of the cloth plate and the top of the work table for a purpose which will later appear. This cloth plate is shown as fixed to a slide 30 mounted for movement in a direction transverse to the needles and to the rocking axis of the loopers. This slide also carries a clamp for buttons or similar articles as at 31 but this button clamp is arranged for pivotal connection as on the axis 32 with the slide 30 so that it may be lifted from the cloth plate. It is normally held pressed down toward the cloth plate to hold the cloth thereagainst by any suitable means such as a spring 33 which is attached to a carrier plate 34 for the button clamp on the opposite side of the pivot 32 from its button engaging portion and whichis extended therefrom to the upper portion of the sewing head 4.

The cloth plate and the button clamp are moved laterally of the needle path between successive sewing operations to present alternately each hole of a pair of holes in the button in the path of each of the needles. For this purpose the slide has pivotally connected at 40 thereto one end of a lever 41 which is adjustably fulcrumed on a pivot member 42 carried by a bracket 44 secured as by screws 45 to the upper face of the work table. As shown best in Figure 6, this pivot 42 comprises a bolt having its head 46 riding in a recess 47 on the under face of the bracket 44 and extending through a slot in this bracket and having thereon a spacing collar 48 passing through a slot 50 in the lever 41. The upper end of the bolt 46 is threaded and receives a wing nut 52 which engages on Washers 53 which serves to fix the bolt 46 in any adjusted position in the slot of the bracket 44. The opposite end of the lever 41 carries an arm 53 having a cam follower 54 riding against the edge of a cam 55. This cam 55 is carried by a vertical shaft 56 which is driven from the shaft 10 as by means of intermeshing gears 57 and 58. The shaft 56 is geared to rotate one half as fast as the shaft 10 so as to make one complete revolution on each two revolutions of the shaft 10 and thus to make a complete revolution for every two needle strokes. The cam follower is kept up against the cam 55 by any suitable means such as the spring 60 shown in Figure 4. The cam 55 is so cut as to cause the slide 30 with the cloth plate and the button clamp to be positioned in one position laterally of the path of the needle during one stroke and in another position at a succeeding stroke and to alternate between these tWo positions, thus to present each hole of a pair in the button alternately in line with one of the needles.

The shaft 56 is also shown as carrying beneath the cam 55 another cam 65. This cam engages the rear end of a bar member 66 s'lidable ina guide 67 in a direction lengthwise of the looper shaft. This member 66 carries on its forward end between spacing members 68 and 69, a member 70, which is slidable perpendicular thereto, (see Figures 4, 5 and 10). This member 70 has fixed at its outer end thereto an element 71 having a thread finger 72 which passes within the space 26 between the lower face of the cloth plate and the upper face of the work table. At 75 is shown a cam roll mounted in fixed position on the upper face of the work table and at 7 6 is shown a cam member also fixed to the upper face of the Work table and having a cam face 77 thereon with which the end of the element 70 engages when the member 66 is moved outwardly from the shaft 56. When so engaged, further outward movement of the member 66 causes the finger 72 to be brought across the path of the needle and to engage the loop of thread, which at that time is about the looper hook and to move it toward the slide 30. (On retraction ofthe member 66, which is accomplished by the action of springs 79, the member 7 0 moves out of contact with the cam 76 until its curved portion 80 engages the cam roll 75, whereupon further retracting motion of the member 66 moves the finger 72 away from the slide 30. Thus the finger 72 is given a four-way motion and as the shaft 56 is driven at one half the speed of the shaft 10, two complete needle stitching cycles are necessary for complete cycle of motion of the finger 72. The purpose of this finger 7 2 and thetiming of its movement relative to the stitching cycle will now be further explained with reference more particularly to Figures 11 to 18.

Referring to Figures 11 and 12, it will be seen that the button shown at 100 is in such a position that the hole 101 thereof is in line with the needle 6. The needle has made a stroke through this hole 101 and through the cloth to which the button is to be attached and has formed a loop which has been taken by the hook 20 of the. looper, or in case two needles are employed, as is shown in Figure 12, a loop from each of the needles has been taken by the hook of its respectivelooper. When the needle is retracted, the button clamp and cloth plate are moved to present the opposite hole 102 into line with the needle and the thread finger 72 has been brought across the path of the needle so as to deflect the thread loops into the position shown in Figure 13. In this position of the parts the loop of thread on each looper hook 20 is extended across the path of the needle which on its next stroke passes through this loop as shown in Figure 13 and this loop is then cast off of the looper hook about the needle as shown in Figure 14. The thread hook 20 of the looper is then in position to take the succeeding loop of thread from the needle which has been passed through the former loop, as will be evident from an inspection of Figure 14. If the thread finger 72 had not deflected the loop from the looper into the position shown in Figure 13, it would have extended from the hook of the looper directly to the hole 101 of the button and would therefore have been out of the path of the needle which would not have presented its next loop therethrough, whereupon on retraction of the looper as shown in Figure 14 to release the loop of thread therefrom it would have been cast off into the air and not around the loop formed by the needle and no stitch would have been formed. On retraction of the needle from the hole 102, as shown in Figure 15, it has left another loop of thread on the looper hook 20, whereupon the button clamp and cloth plate are moved to the left as shown in Figure 16 to again present the hole 101 into the path of the needle. The button itself in this movement has carried the loop of thread extending from the looper hook 20 across the path of the needle so that the use of the thread fin er for that purpose at this part of the stitc ing cycle is quite unnecessary and it is during this portion of the stitching operation that the thread finger is in retracted position. On the succeeding downward stroke of the needle it passes through the hole 101 of the button as shown in Figure 17 and through the loopof thread on the looper hook 20, the looper hook then retracting to free the loop therefrom which passes about the needle, whereupon the looper may go forward to take the loop of thread from the needle in the position shown in Figure 11. The cycle of operations is then repeated. Thus it will beseen that in one position of the button and cloth plate, the thread finger acts to move the loop of needle thread intosubstantially the same position relative to the looper-axis that it is positioned by movement of the button clam and cloth plate when the other hole in the utton is presented in the needle ath. Thus at each stroke of the needle t e loops which are taken by the looper are in correct relation to the needle for chain stitching to be effected, the thread finger insuring that the loop as cast off from the looper at each alternate stitching stroke will be cast off over the needle thread loop rather than into the air. The action is, of course, similar with reference to both of the needles, a single thread finger accomplishing the necessary deflection of the two loops in certain positions of the button holder and cloth plate 'to insure correct relationship of the loops to the needle paths on the succeeding stroke of the needle bar. When two needles are used this machine lays the stitches in two arallel sets overthe face of and back of the utton, and when the work is stitched through and through these sets of stitches lie in parallel relation on the back face of the work.

From the foregoing description of an embodiment of this invention, it should be evident to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications might be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. a

I claim:

1. In a machine of the class described, sewing instrumentalities including a pair of me dles, a shaft, and a pair of loopers carried by said shaft, a work table, means for supporting an article in position to be attached to work on said table by said instrumentalities, means for moving said article support laterally'of the looper shaft alternately in opposite directions between successive sewing strokes of the needles, and means for engaging the threads between the needles and loopers whenever said support is in one of said ositions and holding the thread loops in en tantially the same relation thereto for cooperation with the needles as when the article support tions.

2. In a machine of the class described, sewing instrumentalities including a needle and a looper turnable about an axis, a work table, a cloth plate on said work table and having a portion spaced therefrom, an article holder for supporting an article above work on said cloth plate in position to sew an article carried by said holder to the work, means for moving said holder and cloth plate laterally in opposite directions between successive stitch formations, a thread finger in said space, and means for imparting a four motion movement to said finger in a plane parallel to the direction of lateral movement of said holder and cloth plate to engage the loop is in the other of'said posiof thread on the looper when'said work holder -in parallel relation for simultaneous sewing strokes, a looper cooperating with each needle and turnable on an axis extending parallel to the plane of said needles, means for supporting work and an article to be stitched thereto in cooperative relation to said needles and loopers, means for moving said supporting means and needles relatively laterally of said needles between successive stitch formations, a thread finger, and means for actuating said finger to engage the loops of thread on the loopers when the needles are retracted and to move and hold said loops in substanti'ally the same position when said supporting means is in' one only of said positions as when said supporting means is in the other of said positions in alternate stitch formations and during the next succeeding sewing stroke.

4. In a machine of the class described, sewing instrumentalities including a needle and a looper rockable about an axis at one side of the needle, means for supporting work and an article to be attached thereto, means for moving said supporting means laterally of the needle and laterally of said axis between successive needle strokes and alternately in opposite directions, and means engaging the loop of thread on the looper and holding said loop deflected across the needle path during the needle stroke when said supporting means is nearest to said axis to cause said loop to be cast off over the needle loop on the next sewing stroke of said needle.

5. A machine of the class described com? prising sewing instrumentalities including'a needle and an oscillatory looperhaving a hook, a work table, a cloth plate overlying said work table and having a portion spaced therefrom, a button holder having a button retaining portion spring pressed toward said cloth plate, said button holder being carried by said cloth plate, means for moving said cloth plate and button holder laterally of the needle alternately in opposite directions between successive stitch formations, a member movable toward and from the needle path and perpendicular to the line of motion of said cloth plate and button clamp, an element carried by said member for relative movement in the line of motion of said cloth plate and button holder and having a thread finger extending into said space, fixed cam elements cooperating with said finger element for causing reciprocation of said member to produce a four way motion of said thread finger, and means for actuating said member to cause said finger to engage and move the loop of thread on said looper when said cloth plate and button. holder are moved toward said looper axis to the opposite side of said needle path, whereby on the next succeeding pass of the needlesaid loop will be cast off the looper over the needle loop.

6. In a machine of the class described, sewing instrumentalities including two needles, a shaft, and two loopers carried by said shaft, a button holder, means for moving said button holder in opposite directions between successive strokes of the needles, and means for engaging the thread loops between said button holder and said loopers to hold the loops in the paths of said needles regardless of said movement of the button holder, thereby producing two parallel sets of chain stitches.

7. In a machine of the class described, sewing instrumentalities including a needle and an oscillatory looper, a button holder, means for moving said holder laterally of said needle between successive needle strokes'and alternately in opposite directions, and. means engaging the loop of thread on the looper and holding said loop deflected across the needle path during the; needle stroke when said holder is nearer to the axis of said looper to cause said loop to be cast over the needle loop on the next sewing stroke of said needle.

8. In a machine of the class described, a needle bar, a pair of needles carried by said bar in parallel relation for simultaneous sewing strokes, an oscillatory looper shaft, a pair of loopers fixed to said shaft each for cooperation with one of said needles, a button holder, means for relatively moving said holder and needles laterally between successiiif stitch formations to present alternately tw stitch receiving holes of a pair of a four hole button carried by said holder in the path of each needle, a thread finger, and means for actuating saidfinger to engage and hold the thread loops between said buttons and loop holders in the paths of the needles regardless of the relative lateral movement of said buti,eoo,ess

ton holder and needles, thereby producing two parallel sets of chain stitches. t,

9. In a machine of the class described, sewing instrumentalities including two needles and two oscillatory loopers cooperating with said needles, a button holder, means for relatively moving said holder and needles laterally between successive strokes of said needles, and means for engaging the thread loops between said holder and loopers and holding said loops in the paths of said needles regardless of' said relative movement between said holder and needles.

10. In a machine of the class described, means for holding a four hole button and work in position for attaching the button to the work, a pair of needles, means including a pair of looperseach turnable on an axis for cooperating with said needles to form chain stitches, and means for relatively moving said needles and holding means to cause each of said needles to pass alternately through a pair of holes in the button and through the work and to lay the stitches in two parallel sets over the face of and back .of the button.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my 

